Program Overview

BA (Hons) Security, Intelligence and Cyber with integrated Foundation

Course Overview

This three-year programme offers an introduction into the Security, Intelligence and Cyber landscape, ideal for candidates that need extra preparation before studying at undergraduate level. The foundation course is structured to bridge the gap between any current qualifications and experience you have, and the start of undergraduate study.

Entry Requirements

• Applicants must have a minimum of 5 GCSEs at grades 4-9, including English and Maths, or their international equivalents.
• In addition, applicants must have one of the following qualifications or their international equivalents:
  • A Levels with minimum grades of DD
  • BTEC National Diploma with minimum grades of MPP
  • Other Level 3 qualifications equivalent to at least 48 UCAS points
• International Applicants: We welcome equivalent qualifications from around the world. However, you must also demonstrate your English language proficiency by achieving an IELTS score of 6 with a minimum score of 5.5 in each component, or another approved language test.

Teaching & Assessment

• Teaching is carried out through a combination of lectures supported by seminars and tutorials.
• A key feature of the Buckingham teaching method is the use of small tutorial groups which provide the most effective means of ensuring that the students benefit from the academic expertise at their disposal.
• Assessment of individual modules within each course varies according to the subject. Assessment is usually by examination, assessed coursework, or a combination of the two.

Course Fees

• The fees for this course are:
  • Start: Sep 2025
    • Type: Full-time (3 Years)
    • First Year: £9,250 (UK), £14,800 (INT)
    • Total cost: £37,000 (UK), £59,200 (INT)
  • Start: Jan 2026
    • Type: Full-time (3 Years)
    • First Year: £9,250 (UK), £14,800 (INT)
    • Total cost: £37,000 (UK), £59,200 (INT)

Scholarships and Bursaries

• We have bursaries and scholarships available for both home and international students at undergraduate and postgraduate level, and these are awarded based on location, merit or financial need.
• Students applying for this course may be eligible for the following:
  • Swains Scholarship: Up to £5,000/year for undergraduates in Buckinghamshire with financial need.

About the Course

• BA Security, Intelligence and Cyber looks at global politics and diplomacy in the 21st century which are increasingly underpinned by questions of security, both as a threat and as policy.
• Diplomats and decision-makers in government and business increasingly need to understand the complex dynamics of regional and global security, whether that be the complex dynamics of the Middle East; the resurgence of assertive powers in a multi-polar world; or domestic extremist movements, to name but a few.
• Processes of globalisation have taught us that two further developments are also critical. First, in order to survive and prosper in an uncertain world, all states need good intelligence on threats and adversaries. But how do intelligence capabilities properly interface with the business of government, especially in democratic states where security, privacy and accountability must be carefully balanced?
• Secondly, the twenty-first century is and will increasingly signify a world where the virtual and the physical become intertwined. The key managers and decision-makers of tomorrow will need to be very much at ease in the cyber realm, recognising both its opportunities and its threats. The intersection of technology, security and politics will become the essence of modern life.

Modules

• The programme is structured around a core set of modules, and two optional pathways, focusing respectively on politics and diplomacy; and foundational-level computing and cybersecurity.
• Modules include:
  • Academic Writing Skills
  • Advanced Academic Skills
  • Britain Since 1945: Changing Roles
  • Critical Thinking
  • Digital Skills
  • Foundations of International Human Rights Law
  • Global Perspectives
  • International Studies
  • Introduction to Political Communication
  • Key Academic Skills
  • Research Skills
  • The Economic Environment of Business
  • The English Legal System
  • Cyber Challenges
  • Development and Security
  • Diplomacy in the Modern Age
  • Foundations of Global Security
  • Foundations of Intelligence Organisations and Structures
  • Intelligence threats, triumphs, and blunders
  • Introduction to Political Theory
  • National Security in a Cyber Age
  • Companion to Industry Experience
  • Integrated Industry Experience
  • Security, Intelligence and Policy-Making
  • Terrorism and Counter Terrorism
  • US Foreign Policy in the Post Cold War Era
  • Conflict, Crisis and Strategic Decision-Making
  • Dissertation (Cyber)
  • DNA and Crime
  • Global Security and International Law
  • Media, Society, Security and Cyberspace
  • Network Analysis for Criminal Investigators
  • Research Design and Methods

After Your Course

• Our graduates have gone on to further study at most of the world’s leading universities, including Harvard, London, Oxford and Cambridge and secured jobs in senior positions around the world.
• Among our alumni we have a graduate who became the head of his country’s civil service and one who became a leading Formula One motor-racing driver. Another secured a position as the Minister of Sabah and one female law graduate became the first British lawyer to become a French Advocate.